When all else fails, blame the victim

Women and girls have known for eons what it is like when a community blames the victim. She was raped because she "was out alone at night," "drinking alcohol," "wearing seductive clothing," "sexually attracted to the man." We have heard it all and then some. A few years ago, I became enraged when the local newspaper's headline read "Girl admits she was having sex with man." I have since seen many similar headlines.

Now at least one of the Congressional pages is learning what it's like to be blamed, even though he is the victim. Here is what Matt Drudge had to say on his radio program:

I'm just saying from reading these instant messages, this wasn't coerced. I mean, this wasn't somebody -- the kid was having fun with this. These LOLs throughout the entire conversation, these "laugh out louds."

We have laws that protect minors because minors are often not mature enough to make big decisions for themselves, and because they are vulnerable to authority figures. A 16-year-old girl who enjoys the attention of a 30-year-old man is no less a victim than an 8-year-old girl (or boy) who is told to engage in a sexual activity or something bad will happen. To suggest otherwise is to condone the activities of sexual predators.